Interoperability of Files and Documents in Uruguay

Summary:

In a world of globalization where information has become vital, being able to access it and share it from anywhere has become a matter of paramount importance.

Information:

Currently technology systems need to interact with one another to offer joint services that can increase efficiency. In the Public Administration, this objective becomes especially important when it comes to providing services to citizens.

The Public Administration should be able to identify citizens’ needs and configure systems to allow access and use of services, data and documents. It is also important that agreements are entered into between public institutions that provide and receive services.

There are four main interoperability levels:

Organizational: It refers to the capacity of entities and processes through which the required functions are performed, in order to achieve mutually agreed upon achievements related to the services they provide.

Semantic: It relates to the information exchanged. It should be possible to automatically interpret it and applications that were not involved in its creation should be able to reuse it.

Technical: It addresses the relationship between IT systems and services, including aspects such as interfaces, interconnection, integration of data and services, information submission, accessibility and security.  

Time factor: It is related to the interaction between elements that correspond to different technological waves and it is manifested in the conservation of information in electronic support.

Interoperability advantages:
 

• File Exchange: It automates the submission of files from one entity to another in the different administrative scenarios in which it can occur. Therefore, it decreases spending on messaging, shortens terms and streamlines the interaction between administrative bodies, which result in greater efficiency and simplification of citizen relations with public institutions.
• Document Exchange: It consists on the submission of individual documents between agencies (certifications, technical reports, resolutions). Thanks to this advantage, it is possible to save costs as a result of the progressive disappearance of paper, considering the large number of physical movements of paper throughout its life cycle.
• Data Exchange: It consists on the substitution of documents provided by citizens for data exchange services that allow them to verify the required information. This service in particular benefits all parties: citizens, because they avoid the expenses and hassles of obtaining the certificate; the target agency, because it no longer needs to process the documents in paper format, and the issuing body, as the workload of generating the certificates that citizens need throughout the process operations is reduced.